been more memorable. It was one
of the harder things I’ve done on a
motorbike. I’ll remember the stretch
between Vista Hermosa and La
Macarena forever, both in a good and
bad way. From a bike perspective,
I won’t say the XT is my favorite of
all time. However, we put the bikes
through some serious testing. All
seven proved to be trustworthy and
made it to the end with a little tender
love and care. In my opinion the only
issue is the factory suspension. Too
soft for rough conditions, especially
the rear. But if that’s the only com-
plaint after putting the bikes through
absolute hell, it’s pretty amazing. I’ve
always been a Yamaha fan, this trip
solidified that opinion.
From La Macarena we made way
over two difficult dirt mountain pass-
es. Day five to Florencia, then day
six to San Agustin, which is a small
village in the Andes known for its
pre-Columbian remains spread over
many different sites in the region.
Imagine Easter Island-style, carved,
volcanic stone figures and tombs
scattered throughout the surround-
ing forest. It’s a special place, and the
village itself is pretty amazing. From
a riding perspective, the roads near-
by are a combination of twisty and
paved, along with spectacular dirt
TRAVERSE
25
sections, all with views for days.
On the seventh and final day we
woke up and cleaned the hotel out
of coffee entirely. After clearing the
cobwebs we headed out (one too
many celebratory Poker beers at din-
ner). After a quick stop for lunch in
Popayan, the beautiful white village,